Environment

In the collective imagination, bears are one of the wild animals with which humanity has struggled the most over the course of history. After virtual extermination, the reintroduction of bears in a number of European countries is arousing enthusiasm as well as perplexity

Last December, Sarajevo was the most polluted capital in the world. What are the main causes of pollution in the Bosnian capital? An interview with Anes Podić, coordinator of Eko Akcija

Despite some timid positive signals, Sofia remains one of Europe's most polluted capitals – a problem made worse only by the slow reaction of the city's institutions

Since some of the world’s largest gas reserves were discovered in Cyprus, the island has been coveted by fossil-fuel giants. The situation is burdening delicate negotiations on reunification

Macedonia's capital has been declared the most polluted in Europe – a sad record, consequence of bad policies and a chronic lack of long-term vision

Between 2 and 4 December, Sarajevo was the most polluted capital in the world, at least according to data provided by US embassies, that constantly monitor the environmental situation of the cities where they are based

With the crisis, pressure on subsoil resources, minerals and hydrocarbons has increased in Greece. In Epirus and other regions local communities, worried about the long-term effects on the environment and quality of life, decided to react

In the Balkans, the construction is planned of 2,800 hydroelectric power plants – mostly small, but with devastating impact on the river environment. A group of activists and an annual Balkan Rivers Tour emerged to defend these waterways

Every year, a summer school brings together activists and researchers on the island of Vis in order to discuss sustainability and social equality. OBCT's correspondent was there this year

Tomislav Tomašević, 38, is the leader of the movement Zagreb je naš ("Zagreb is ours"). An activist, political scientist, and environmentalist, Tomašević represents to date the most dynamic opposition to Zagreb's unremovable mayor Milan Bandić. We met him

In all of EU countries Earth Overshoot Day – the date when all of the inhabitants have used more from nature than our planet can renew in the entire year – falls before 1 August, except for Romania.

Works are ongoing in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, for the construction of a pharaonic real estate project. Its impact on the landscape and environment risks being huge, and civil society has mobilized

On 13 February, female councillors from Armenia’s women-led opposition party Yerkir Tsirani were attacked, physically and sexually, during a Yerevan City Council session. The women were later blamed for the attack

Ljubljana is among the most accessible European capitals for cycling, and among the cities which have invested most in this mode of transport. An interview with Lea Ružič, president of the Ljubljana Cyclists Network

Tourism, traffic, pollution, and constructions. Plitvice, today, no longer rhymes with transparent waters and uncontaminated nature. And the lakes risk to be removed from the UNESCO heritage list

Wild, untamed mountains, poverty, and massive depopulation. In the villages of northern Albania, some resist the temptation to escape to the city and hope for a new beginning, made of sustainable rural development and alternative tourism. Our report

The story of Mariam Kochashvili, 21, shepherd at her village in the Pshavi mountains and student of the last year of medicine in the capital

Mining is one of the most important sectors of the Armenian economy. Because of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the country now has to undertake a series of reforms for transparency and accountability

Serbia will need at least 918 million € to regulate the area of waste disposal. One of the main projects involves construction of regional landfills, that is, closing of the existing non-sanitary landfills which jeopardize human health

In tourist areas across Europe, the waste generated by tourism is managed by recycling and disposal systems that are often inefficient. An overview of the situation in South-East Europe

Georgia’s billionaire ex Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has been ripping up ancient and rare trees from across the country and transporting them to his private arboretum in Ureki. While the government claims it is for their own protection, activists continue to challenge the move

While the United Nations designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, Armenia is struggling to manage and make the best out of the potential of this sector

Numerous farmers and land owners in Albania feel they are sidelined by Europe’s dash for gas

Massive land and real estate sale to foreign nationals in the central Balkan country points to growing corruption and brings little benefit to the country

Serbia has taken a commitment to produce energy from renewable sources, but it is building a new block of Kostolac B thermal power plant which will be using lignite coal

Despite the commitments defined by the Energy Community Treaty, most of the investments in the energy sector in the Western Balkans are still directed to coal plants

The story of a district forgotten by the authorities, made alive by citizens, and finally seized by force to build the pharanoic project “Belgrade on water”

An exclusive interview with director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi on his upcoming film, Luxembourg, and on the branding of Chernobyl

The town and lake Ohrid are endangered by a vast urbanization plan, which is opposed by local citizens and international scholars

The Šar Planina mountains are one of the richest biodiversity areas in the Balkans, but they are not protected. The project of a Natural Park could change the picture